Typhoon Haiyan Death Toll Rises To 5,200
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Haiyan caused severe damage in Tacloban, the capital city of the Philippine island Leyte. (Trocaire/Wikimedia Commons)
SEE ALSO: Philippines Typhoon: Estimated Death Toll Inaccurate
Philippine officials confirmed the count on Friday, two weeks after the typhoon ravaged the country’s middle islands. The number only includes corpses that were recorded by authorized personnel from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the New York Times reports.
The new total is a considerable increase from the 4,011 deaths reported Wednesday. Casualties from Haiyan (called Yolanda in the Philippines) now exceed the 5,100 people who were killed in floods caused by tropical storm Thelma in 1991.
According to the Wall Street Journal, authorities say the death count could still increase. Roughly 23,000 people have been injured from the storm, and at least 1,600 others are still missing.
Haiyan blew through the tropical nation on Nov. 8, destroying millions of dollars worth of buildings, crops and other property. More than 4 million people—including one million children—have been displaced from their homes, NBC News reports. The long-term effects of the storm are yet to be seen, though some researchers believe that female babies are especially at risk.
Read the full story at the New York Times. Read all of Neon Tommy’s coverage of Typhoon Haiyan.
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